CARBONDALE, IL – U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today announced that the Southern Five Regional Planning District and Development Commission in Ullin and the Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan and Regional Planning Commission in Fairview Heights were awarded CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The grants, awarded to Economic Development Districts, will be used to update economic development plans and fortify programs to assist communities in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Southern Illinois small businesses have been hit hard by the COVID-19 shutdown,” said Bost. “These grants will provide the Southern Five Regional Planning District and Development Commission and the Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan and Regional Planning Commission with vitally important resources so that they can continue helping local businesses and communities respond to and recover from this pandemic.”

The Southern Five Regional Planning District and Development Commission in Ullin will use their $399,976 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to hire additional staff to provide specialized assistance to communities and businesses to aid efforts to recover from and be more resilient to future economic crises.

The Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan and Regional Planning Commission in Fairview Heights will use the $354,097 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant they received to develop strategies to boost the logistics and manufacturing sectors in the region and support workforce needs.

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